Big Time Arena
by MuffinPuppiesUnite
Summary: Ladies and Gentleman, let the 42nd annual Hunger Games begin! Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, James Diamond, and Kendall Knight are just a fraction of the 24 contestants in this year's Hunger Games. Love, hate, fear and anger abound as twenty-four tributes, between the ages of 12 and 18, fight to the death, with only one possibly coming out.
1. Chapter 1(The Reaping)

**A/N: Hello, readers! This is my 1st BTR fan fiction and my 2nd Hunger Games crossover with another series. I have a problem. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please R&R! **

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**Carlos, District 9: **

I pull the battered old blanket off my shoulders and sit up. Orange dawn light is flooding in through the single window in my dad's and my bedroom. I walk over to the small hole, and see the huge fields. I dress in my worn, but comfortable, shirt and pants.

My dad and I live right next to the fields here in District 9. You'd think our walk to work would be much shorter than everyone else, but really, this district is small. I see my dad lying on his old bed, and go outside to check that the portion of the fields we're responsible to harvest are taken care of, even though I'm positive they are. Anything to distract me from the reaping this morning. A light rain is dripping when I see the fields. I stay out here for a minute, watching the sun rise.

After a couple minutes, I walk back inside our two room concrete house. My dad is sitting at the table, eating breakfast: some darkly colored bread, dotted with some raisins, and an orange for the both of us. The fruit is an uncommon item in any house in District 9, because they're so expensive. But it must be for reaping day.

"Hey, Dad." I say, sitting down.

"How is the air outside, Carlos?" My dad asks. He wouldn't even have to see me walk in; he knows every reaping day I go outside to try and ignore the impending worry that shadows over every district in Panem on this day.

"It's cool, for harvest season." I say. "Raining a little, too." My dad stares at his food, looking distraught. Not allowing anything but a smile on anyone's face, I lay my orange slices on a piece of bread, and show it to him. He smiles at the happy face I created, which brings a huge grin to my face, seeing someone cheered up, at least a little.

"I went ahead and cleaned a good outfit for you." My dad says. I hate how we have to dress up like the reapings are a happy occasion, which they clearly are not. But to the Capitol they are. And it makes me sick. I finish eating and return the other room to get ready.

[-]

I bounce up and down on my heels as Kelly Wainwright, our district escort, reaches into the girls bowl for the female tribute in The Hunger Games.

"Heather Fox." She calls, unfolding the paper. The gorgeous girl walks up to the stage, obviously trying to hide her fear. Heather Fox is easily the prettiest girl in the district, with long black hair she wears in curls, and dazzling green eyes. I love her so much, and I've said so, but she seems so shy, and every sixteen year old guy likes her, too.

Those worries are blown away as Kelly reaches into the boy tributes bowl, and as she picks up the paper that could be one of the fourteen that have my name written in cursive. I bite my lip as she unfolds the entry.

"Carlos Garcia." My heart stops as the Capitol lady calls my name.

[-]

**Kendall:**

My eyes keep going to my baby sister, Katie, in the very back. She's only twelve, four years younger than me, and should only have one entry in the big glass bowl holding the girl's names. But, as sweet as she is, she was stubborn about the subject and refused to take any less than one tessera, and has two entries.

Forjia Collins, District 12's escort, walks back to the bowl after The Treaty of Treason. She reaches into the glass bowl, and I look at my sister one last time before the name is called.

"Katelyn Knight." I start to fall backwards, unable to stand, but two guys next to me catch my arms and steady me. I look at our mother, who has her head in her hands. Seeing her, I come to a conclusion:

_I have to protect her. _Katie walks up to the stage, surprisingly confident. She nods at Forjia, and faces the crowd as the next paper, the boy's, is pulled out.

I don't even listen to the name called before shouting out; "I volunteer as tribute!" At the top of my lungs. It came out weak, but I was heard.

"It seems we have a volunteer!" Forjia squeals. Some Peacekeepers come get me and walk me up the stage. I feel as if I'm about to throw up, but try my hardest to hide it. I have to show I am strong in these Games.

"And what is your name?" The brightly colored escort turns the microphone to me.

"Kendall Knight." I say as confidently as I can. I see the mayor, out of the corner of my eye, trying not to laugh. I must sound stupid.

"Is this your sister?" Forjia asks.

"Yes." I reply, putting more force to my voice. As tradition depicts, Katie and I shake hands, and a look of hatred, probably for joining her, is in Katie's eyes, but also, for the first time in a while, fear. Then the Peacekeepers march us inside the Justice Building to say goodbye to our mom for what could be the last time.

[-]

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**A/N: BOOM. Don't worry, you'll find out what happens with Logan and James during the Hunger Games. Please review, follow, and favorite for the rest of the story! **


	2. Chapter 2(The Train)

**A/N: Hey. Small thing here. I forgot to write "Kendall, District 12" last chapter and just wrote Kendall. So, to clear any confusion, Kendall is from District 12. :) **

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**James, District 2:**

We board the train, me and Jennifer Cantillo, a hot girl with straight dark brown hair and bangs who is this year's District 2 tribute, along with me. Anyway, the two of us board a fancy train with our escort, a strange bearded man who chooses to go by "Buddha Bob." He doesn't wear all the fancy clothes a lot of the Capitol residents wear; just fine suits, and he braided one section of his beard for the reaping.

We sit down at a clear glass table, waiting for our mentors. One of them is my mother, Brooke Diamond, a victor, as I will be too. The other is just one of the many victors that have earned more and more respect for District 2. I hear the familiar thuds of my mother's heels, and soon she and a man who won before I was born sit across from me and Jennifer.

"This is uh," Buddha Bob awkwardly introduces our mentors. "Brooke Diamond and George Hawk, your mentors."

"She's your mother?!" Jennifer turns to me. Her eyes show hatred and jealousy.

"Yep." I throw a strawberry in my mouth from the fruit bowl on the table. The train starts moving suddenly, and I'm amazed by the speed. I don't dare show it, though.

"Uh, looks like it's six thirty." Buddha Bob says. "Dinner is in an hour. I'll show you to your quarters." We walk down a hall and Jennifer's room comes up first. She slides into her room without a word, and we continue to my room down the hall. Buddha Bob opens the door for me, then leaves to do some work I don't care about.

My quarters have a bedroom, a dressing room, and a private bathroom. I set my token, a smooth, gray stone, on the wooden dresser. It's from my mother. It was in her pocket when she was lifted from the frozen world that her arena was, so she gave it to me, because somehow she still had it, years later.

I undress and hop inside the shower. I've had a shower before, unlike a lot of districts, anyway, but even that was a low-pressure, leaky one that stopped working after a couple minutes. This one is high pressure, with many buttons and functions. At first I freeze myself, but then I get used to the controls. After I get out, I dry off, change into simple clothes, and grab my token. After one last hair check, I walk down to the dining hall.

_This is it. _I think. _Tonight, my life truly begins. _I run into Buddha Bob in the hall, and he says we'll be arriving at the capitol around seven in the morning. We walk into the dining room, and the food is laid out buffet style. I pick a big steak, a glass of wine, and some chilled fruit. I've had wine before, but I can't remember when. All I know is the taste is familiar. I sit in between two empty chairs, to try and ignore the conversation. I eat quickly, and return to the food table twice for more. While I've trained all my life for this, and we have more food than those scraps in 11 and 12, sometimes we don't have _this _much food. I hear that there's so much food at one Capitol party it could feed everyone who works in The Nut! Shut up, I'm not so sure how much the other districts know about us.

"The recap of the reapings is starting in about five minutes." Buddha Bob says, standing up. "We should get to the viewing room." Everyone stands up, but my mom seems terrified by something on the table. Sh's sitting there, frozen. Buddha Bob shakes her shoulder and she snaps out of it.

"Maybe I should go to bed." She says through gritted teeth. Then she looks at me with such a furious look that it hurts. She walks away, and Jennifer puts a hand on my shoulder.

"It's not your fault." Jennifer says. "But this isn't me being nice." She turns away and walks down the hall, and I follow.

I try to remember the names, as it will help me win: Two blondes named Jennifer Moore and Jett Stetson from District 1. He looks like a good fighter. For District 2, Hawk's face turns worried when the commentators point out directly how I am the son of a victor. District 3, two named Camille Roberts and Logan Mitchell, who I think are in love or something, and she looks a better fighter. District 4 is _another _Jennifer; Crowne is her last name, and she's got light, curled brown hair. Her tribute partner is a guy named Beau, whatever his last name is.

District 5 are two kids named Kat and TJ, but I don't see a reason to remember them. District 6 are nothing special, but District 7 I remember, a nice girl named Jo; she'll be killed easily; and a small but strong fighter who looks about thirteen, I think named Kyle. I'll consider him. District 8 I ignore, but Carlos, some idiot from District 9 looks dazed by the girl. In 10, there is a hot girl named Lucy I want on my side, and a tiny kid named Tyler, who will be an easy target.

District 12, though. That's strange. An older brother protecting his sister. I don't remember her name, but his is Kendall. I would have him join our team, but he's weak. He has no ferocity.

"Hey, so can you all go to bed?" Buddha Bob says when the show is over. "It's eight o'clock, and tomorrow is going to be a huge day. Plus, you'll be getting up at 6." We all head to our quarters to try and get some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3(Training)

**Thank you to k drama queen for being the first follower. **

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**Logan, District 3:**

I slam the door shut and sit on my bed in the Training Center room that I posses, at least until the Games start. The Tribute Parade just finished, and 1, 2, and 4 of course made a splash, 2 wearing nothing but small silver sheets covering only what is necessary. Because of our lack of physical training, District 3 has never been labeled as a winning or "Career" district. My outfit is a black jumpsuit with neon green lines running up and down, side to side, imitating the glowing lights of technology. Green streaks are still in my hair, but I'm too sick to wash them out in the shower. Camille, the girl I love so much wore nothing but a _bikini _bearing the same pattern as my outfit. I hate the Capitol for what they do to us.

"Dinner is in half an hour, Logan!" I hear my mentor, Reginald Bitters, call. I get in the shower, program a simple wash with pine scented shampoo to clean up. After I'm done, I dress in simple pants and a shirt, and put on my token: a simple black beaded bracelet. I have it because my aunt gave it to my mom, when she was lost to The Hunger Games, and my mom wanted me to bring it. I run a comb through my hair and go to the dining hall.

I sit down next to Camille, who gives me a halfhearted smile. Even her happiness is smothered by the shadow looming over our heads. Soon our stylist, Selana, sits on the other side of me.

Waiters serve the first course, a green pea soup, that tastes very salty. A silent young man, an Avox, I'm presuming, offers us wine. Camille takes it right away, so I take it too, but not so easily.

Taking a sip, Camille says; "It's actually tastes alright." I put the cup to my lips, drink it, and nod. It actually tastes alright. The Avox walks by, and gets me wondering: why? Bitters explained to me what an Avox is. It's a traitor, and to punish them, they cut their tongue. Why? It makes me sick, and personally, I think whatever they did that was "treacherous" is well justified. But if I dare say so, they'd probably arrest me and my family, if not worse, the sick devils.

"You two, should get some rest." Bitters points at Camille and me. "Training starts tomorrow, and I want no one tired."

Outside Camille's room, I pause to say goodnight, but she pulls me in her embrace.

"I'm so sorry this happened." I say.

"It's not your fault." She turns her head, and kisses me right on the lips. We haven't kissed since the day before the reaping, we were so sick with worry. But now we're here, and the worry has changed to fear. Camille pulls away after a couple seconds, and exits quietly to her room.

[-]

We ride down the elevator to the training floor the next morning for the first of three training days. Bitters told us that, since we're both kind of small, we should stick to survival skills and simple weapons.

"This is how training will work." A large man who goes by Freight Train says. "There will be trainers at each station to help you learn, and you can move from station to station freely. There are survival skills and combat skills, but you may only do hand-to-hand combat with the assistants, no other tributes. Some of the skills include fire-starting, knife throwing..." I look around as he continues. The male tribute from 2 is giving menacing looks to everyone except The Jennifers and their fellow Careers. Kendall Knight, the boy who volunteered for his sister seems to be arguing quietly with her. The boy from 10, a small boy with red hair, is standing by himself, scared to death.

Freight Train releases us to go to different stations, and Camille suggests fire-starting. I find it rather easy, until they take my matches away. It's really hard. After about half an hour of failure, I feel one of the Gamemakers watching us. When I turn around, he looks away, but I know who was watching, before he went to get some food.

I look around at the competition: The Careers are sword fighting with some trainers, Kendall and Katie are setting traps, Beau, a Career from 4, seems to be following another girl with dark black hair around. Her name is...Lucy, I think? Anyway, the boy from 9 seems shy, trying to get knives but being intimidated by the Careers.

After a couple minutes, I get a fire started, and Camille smiles at me. I look around, and my jaw drops when I see the shy kid from 9 hit 3 target dummies in a row, directly in the heart, with throwing knives. But when he sees everyone watching he walks over to the fire-starting area. Camille and I, both successful, go to the sword-fighting floor.

"What do you think you're doing over here?" The boy from 2 asks, pushing me.

"Fine, we'll leave. C'mon, Logan." Camille grabs my arm, and we walk away.

"Yeah, see ya, lovers!" The male tribute from 1 shouts. Ignoring him, we walk over to the knives. I'm not very good at this, but Camille shows a natural skill. Looking for a weapon I can work with, we head to spears. They're lighter than I thought, and after a couple minutes, I'm getting the hang of it.

After training, we head back to our floor, where our mentor and escort are living, too, eat supper, and go to bed.

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**A/N: So...please review and follow! I hope you enjoyed reading! :) I kind of thought hey, who better to run the Training Center other than Freight Train. Well, rotfl:brbttyl:) out! No, that's a reference to something else...I'm sorry I make corny references to my other fandoms. :/ If you get it, please let me know! Sorry, this A/N is too long. Just keep reading, if the next chapter is posted. If not, it will be soon. **


	4. Chapter 4(Private Sessions)

**James, District 2:**

"I bet those lovers from 3 will score so low, even that girl from 12 will get more sponsors." Blonde Jennifer, from 1, says. Jett just walked away for his private session, so that the Gamemakers can give him a score.

"Anyone _not_ have their strategies?" Beau, from 4, asks sarcastically. Everyone has one. In our group, along with both tributes from 1, 2, and 4, we have thirteen year old Kyle from 7, who Jennifer from 1 and I had faith in, and fifteen year old Winnie from 8, who is talented with a sword, a spear, and slightly with an ax. Everyone agreed that she's valuable. Kendall, however, rejected when Jett offered.

"What would you say to teaming up with us?" Jett had asked when Kendall's little sister was practicing with knives.

"Yeah I don't think so, pretty boy." Kendall replied. Jett had stormed back over to us, making us promise he could kill him when we caught him. We agreed, and I had gone back to checking out Lucy, from 10.

Soon my name is called, and I feel confident.

First, I show off my strength, throwing a 40 pound weight twenty yards. Trying to seem above it all, I don't look for their reactions directly. Next, I show my amazing spear-wielding skills by skewering a dummy's heart from fifteen yards. Finally, taking a bow, I shoot three cardboard silhouettes in their hearts with the sharp, fine pointed arrows. I take this time to turn to the Gamemakers, but force myself to seem indifferent, even though whether I live or die could depend on their approval. A couple show respect on their faces, and most seem strongly interested. Good. I deserve their respect.

"Dismissed." A Gamemaker says. I give a slight bow, and walk back to the elevator.

[-]

After dinner, the District 2 team; Buddha Bob, my mom, Hawk, and Jennifer pack into the viewing room; the stylists didn't come. We wait excitedly for our scores, which surely will be high.

Both tributes from 1 scored 10's. Nice. Jennifer, sitting next to me, tenses as her face appears. Then the number 9 appears.

"Crap." She mutters, but afterward I don't look at her, because my face has appeared. My heart beats faster; this could either help me or finish me. The number appears, and my heart stops.

Nine! I got a nine! Meanwhile Jett is probably dancing on his table. My mom looks at me disapprovingly.

"I got an eleven when I competed." She says. I slump into the couch and run my fingers through my hair, partly because it's a little messed up, partly because I use my hand to hide my face from my mom for a second.

Knowing how good my competition is may be my salvation, so I pay close attention, remembering certain scores: Evidently, Blonde Jennifer was wrong, because the girl from 3 scored a five, and the boy, Logan, I think, scored a six. Not too good; mediocre, though.

Jennifer from 4 scored a ten, and Beau got a 9. Kyle got an 8, and Winnie got a 7. Carlos, the boy from 9, scored a five. I thought about recruiting him, but evidently it was good I didn't. Lucy scored a 6, and both the tributes from 12 did, also. Surprising, from the pint size little girl. Everyone else scored rather low, and the guy from 5 only scored a 1. Easy target, just like that twelve-year-old boy from 10, who got a 2.

I'm running kill strategies through my mind when Buddha Bob sends us all to our beds. I lie down, and begin thinking about the near future. Tomorrow are the interviews, and then the next morning, the real fun begins. I picture the blood of my enemies spilling, and suddenly I feel sick to my stomach. I probably ate too much. That's all. I pull the gray blanket over my head, and quickly fall asleep.

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**A/N: So... what do you think of James' situation with his mom? Let me know in the reviews; I love feedback! Stay radical, my lovelies. Yes, I used radical ironically. And then I killed it by saying that. ;) **


	5. Chapter 5(Interviews)

**A/N: So, this chapter is longer, and I'm not sure if the chapters following this will be as long as this chapter, the ones before, or what. It took a bit longer to write, of course. **

**PS: I wrote most of this while listening to "Safe and Sound" in the Hunger Games soundtrack. **

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**Carlos, District 9:**

"So remember," My mentor, who goes by Guitar Dude, a kind of stage name, I guess, says as we wrap up the content session. "Just try to make them like you. Make them laugh." I nod. We've been preparing for the interviews all day.

Guitar Dude is nineteen, and he won two years ago, the 40th Hunger Games. It shows in his eyes, the fresh pain, but he never lets it show otherwise.

I don't go to dinner until Kelly makes me, and even then I'm not too happy about it. A big cake sits on the table, but it's not touched yet. I sit down in between my stylist, Penny Lane, and Heather. I eat a little carrot soup, but I'm too worried to eat anything else.

When I hear soft sobs next to me, I see Heather has tears streaming down her face, but no one else noticed. Taking an orange, I put a part of the peel in my mouth as a lame attempt to cheer my tribute partner up.

"That doesn't help, Carlos!" Heather says when I smile at her.

"Heather, what's wrong?" Kelly says as she wraps her arm around Heather's shoulders.

"Leave me alone." Heather gets up and walks out, and no one tries to stop her.

[-]

In the morning, I'm woken up by Penny and the prep team. After I shower, we go through a simple routine, they just wax my entire body, which hurts, and then I have to soak in some acid-like substance, which burns. They comb my short hair to make sure it looks alright, and then dress me in a silver suit with golden accents, and give me light make-up, which I have still not gotten used to.

We sit in a large arc across a stage on the front of the Training Center. First, they call Jennifer Moore, and she flicks her straight blonde hair behind her shoulder as she walks up to the stage. She takes her place next to Gustavo Rocqué , the man who has hosted the interviews for the past twenty years. He wears black suits with too much glitter on them.

Both tributes from 1 play sexy and attractive, but they play it so that you wouldn't notice if you weren't paying attention. I remember the ferocity and skills of the District 2 boy, who seems tired of questions about his victor mother, but he manages to shine. The City Circle falls silent as the boy from 3 talks about his tribute partner and love of his life, Camille. The thirteen year old from 7 who got an eight in training and managed to get in with The Careers, Kyle, is cocky. Heather is kind and loving.

They call my name and I must walk up there at some point because next thing I know I'm sitting down next to Gustavo.

"You alright, Carlos?" Gustavo asks as I shake his hand. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, thanks." I say. Thinking of the _likable _role I need to express, I continue. "How are you?"

"Fine. So, what is your life at home like?" Gustavo asks. I answer nervously, because he hasn't always been known for being nice.

"Well, my dad is pretty cool." I say. "We work in the fields." Trying again to seem likable, I continue. "And you know, sometimes, these skinny cats come by, and if I can spare a scrap, I'll feed them."

"Hm." Gustavo replies. "Now, when they called your name at the reaping, how did you feel?"

I take a deep breath, knowing this part is important. "I was terrified, at first. But then, when I got here, I was amazed by the kind people, and the grandeur of the Capitol is like nothing I've ever seen."

"Well, it is something." Gustavo says. Then the buzzer sounds, and we both stand up. "It's been nice talking." Putting a hand on my shoulder and facing me towards the crowd, he says; "Carlos, District 9!" I can tell by the applause I did alright, and I walk back to my seat.

I notice a couple more, specifically; the girl from 10 is not afraid of anything, Katie, the girl from 12, is brave and a fighter. Kendall is intuitive and witty, and very protective when asked about his sister.

[-]

The District 9 team, Kelly, Guitar Dude, and the stylists, Penny Lane and Stephanie King, all sit with Heather and I as we watch the interviews in the sitting room.

Heather and I seem to have done alright, applause and cheering. But that's nothing compared to the screaming and cheering when the tributes from 3 and 12 finished their interviews, for their lovers act/thing, and the protective older brother who sacrificed himself for his baby sister.

This is the last time we will see Kelly and Guitar Dude, because once they've left here, they'll be at the Games H.Q, trying to get as many sponsors as possible for us.

"G'bye dudes." Guitar Dude says.

"Bye, you two." Kelly has tears in her eyes, making her dark green mascara run. "It's been an honor escorting you."

"Bye, Kelly." I say, and suddenly Heather hugs her. Kelly hugs her back and then, overwhelmed, leaves after a kiss on each of our cheeks.

"Any advice?" I ask Guitar Dude.

"Water." He replies. "First thing you need is water, okay? And if there's something nearby, a blanket, a water bottle, as long as it's within a leap or two, get it. Otherwise, steer clear of the fighting. Alright?"

"Yes." Heather says, and hugs him. After, he shakes my hand firmly.

"Now go to bed, dudes." Then he leaves, and we do as told.

[-]

I can't sleep, though. After I changed into some comfortable sleeping clothes, I couldn't even lie down, panic overcoming me.

After the Tribute Parade, Heather mentioned to me that Kelly told her we could go to the roof. Wanting so badly to escape, even though a force field surrounds it, I run up there.

When I get to the roof, I see the boy from District 2 pacing. He doesn't even notice me, he's so caught up in his own thoughts.

"Looks like someone's not as tough as they seem." I venture with a laugh. He walks over and raises his fist to punch me and yells at me, so I block with my arms, but he relaxes.

"Just don't tell anyone I came up here." His voice is a bit calmer then when he yelled at me, but there's still that note of arrogance in his voice. We walk over to the wall, and lean against it, staring at the partying figures in bright colors, dancing on the streets.

"A-are you worried you'll let your mom down?" I ask. He looks at me like he wants to kill me, which he does, but I clarify myself anyway. "I mean, I know she's your tribute partner's mentor."

"What's it to you, 9?" He replies.

"I hate seeing anyone so down." I answer truthfully. Even him, the arrogant, ruthless, killing Career.

"Honestly," He says. "I'm kind of nervous." Then he tenses and finishes harshly. "But I _am _going to win. _No one _else. Now get out of here, 9."

I spend the rest of the night pacing in my room, until a little after midnight when I finally wear myself out, get in bed, and fall asleep.

[-]

"Wake up." I open my tightly closed eyes to find Penny hanging over me. The Games start today. I change into simple clothes, and we go up to the roof.

A hovercraft appears out of nowhere, and a ladder drops down. I place my hands on it and my foot on the first rung, when it freezes me still. It pulls me into the body of the hovercraft. I wait to be released, but instead a woman walks up to me with a syringe, inserting it in my arm and telling me it's my tracker. Of course. Need to keep an eye on the tributes.

When the tracker is in place, the ladder releases me and drops back down to get Penny. We ride to the arena in the hovercraft, and after a short while the windows darken, so that must mean we're getting closer.

When we land, the ladder drops down, but this time straight into a tube that leads underground.

The room has a shower, two orange and red couches, and a table with fine food and drinks. We call it the Stockyard in the districts, but here in the Capitol they call it the Launch Room, because nearby there is a glass tube that I will stand in directly before shooting into the arena. Penny tells me to take a shower and clean my teeth, but I feel dizzy as I do so.

"The clothes got here." Penny says, handing me a package once I get out. I dress in the outfit, which, not very colorful, includes simple undergarments, a thin, tight-fitting, black shirt with long sleeves that go to a couple inches before my wrists, and on the left shoulder, the number 9 is printed in large, glistening, silver print, black cargo pants, black running boots with obnoxiously yellow accents. The socks are dark gray, and there's a gray zip-up vest that goes to my waist, and a black belt with a silver buckle.

Looking at my vest, Penny comments; "Looks like it might be kind of cold without a jacket. Try to be safe." She hugs me quickly and continues. "Try and eat something, and drink some water, too."

I nod, and pick up some chicken. I gag on every bite, I'm so worried, but force myself to eat because I know it'll be good for me in the long run, and I drink a lot of water, too. Penny is there the whole time, patting my shoulder as I eat, until a female voice says launch is in 1 minute.

As I stand on the plate, Penny says, "Remember, water. It's your best chance." I nod, and a glass cylinder begins to lower, closing around me.

My heart beats in terror as the metal plate begins to rise. My last sight of Penny is her blowing me a kiss of good luck.

The brightness blinds me for a second as I break into open air, smell pine trees, hear the rush of a river, and feel the wind. Then I hear the voice of Deke, the Hunger Games announcer, as his voice echoes throughout the arena.

"Ladies and gentleman, let the 42nd annual Hunger Games begin!"

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**A/N: I hope you liked it! Please review; I love the feedback! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6(Bloodbath)

**Logan, District 3:**

I have sixty seconds to find Camille. About fifty five yards away, sits the golden Cornucopia, packed to the brim with life-saving supplies, and strung around the edges are items of lesser value.

I'm looking around, surveying the area. About three plates to my left is a river that grazes the sandy circle that all of us are standing around and then turns, making the only way across for some of the tributes by leaping from rock to rock. And two plates away to my right, is where a desert starts, and it slowly widens, taking more of the forest that takes up the rest of the arena that I can see. I look around the ring of tributes when I lock eyes with Camille, three plates to my right. She nods at me, probably to say she found me too. About four yards away sits a small loaf of bread, and it may be good. But about fifty yards in, sits a backpack. Maybe I can get. I will get it. And this is the conclusion I come to when the gong rings.

I sprint in the direction of the pack and Camille, when Katelyn, the girl from 12, shoots past me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the girl from 1 throw a knife in her direction.

_She can't be out so soon! _I think.

"Logan, no!" Camille screams and in a split second, I'm tackling Katelyn, letting the knife soar above us and stick into the ground nearby. The girl from 1 is gone now, probably seeing options in the supplies.

"Thanks." Katie says. I nod, out of breath, and see Camille running up.

"Logan, don't scare me like that!" She says. Kendall is running up to us now.

"Allies?" He asks, a backpack on his shoulders.

"Allies." Camille confirms as she pulls the knife, maybe our only weapon, out of the ground.

"Let's go." He replies, and we take off into the forest. For the last moment, I turn around, and see a spear go through the boy from 10, Tyler's, chest. Several bodies lie on the ground, and the others still fight. I turn back around to my companions and run.

[-]

We've been going for about three hours, one in the afternoon, when the cannons start. Normally the fighting stops in the early evening, but this went by earlier, and the cannons count up to nine. That's lower, too. Oh, well.

"Hey look!" Camille comments after about an hour. She points up ahead to a stream, it looks about five feet wide, but deep. The sun is setting soon so we decide to make camp.

While there's still sunlight, we go through the supplies in the pack: A pack of dried fruit, two packs of dried beef strips, a bottle of iodine, matches, two pairs of sunglasses, rope, a sleeping bag, a half-full plastic water bottle, a knife, and a first-Aid kit, along with the girl from District 1's knife, and my bread.

"Wait, those aren't sunglasses!" Camille exclaims, picking up one pair of the glasses. "This pair is a pair of night-vision glasses! I remember, someone had them in a Hunger Games when we were little!" She puts them on in the fading light, and immediately she's amazed.

"So who's going to stand guard?" Katelyn, who earlier told me to call her Katie, and made a point about it, asks.

"I'll do it." Camille offers.

"You sure?" I ask, worried.

"Yeah." She replies. Kendall hands her a knife, and we try to figure out who will get what in terms of staying warm. The first-aid kit has a blanket inside, so we give Katie and Camille the sleeping bag, they'll both fit just fine, and Kendall and I share the blanket.

The anthem begins playing, the symbol of Panem shines in the sky, and then they show the faces of the dead: Both from 5, which means all the Careers survived, not surprising, both from 6, the boy from 8, the girl from 9, the boy from 10, and both from 11. Then the music ends and the sky turns dark. Exhausted, I fall asleep.

[-]

"Wake up, Logan!" Camille's desperate voice snaps me awake to see everyone getting up. There are shouts behind us of; "There they are!" and "Get 'em!" The Careers.

We start running, Kendall not letting himself go past Katie. We're not running fast enough; they're gaining on us.

"Climb!" Kendall shouts, helping his sister start. Camille darts up a second tree, and I follow. By now they've caught up, and are shouting insults up at us.

"Hey, looks like the lovers teamed up with 12!" The male tribute from 1 shouts. "Get 'em, Jennifer."

Apparently her name is Jennifer, but the girl with curly brown hair from 4 lifts a bow and aims at...Camille!

"Watch out!" I yell, but it's too late. She tries to dodge, but it hits her upper left arm. She cries out in pain, and I hear the Careers arguing.

"Nice shot." The girl from 2 says sarcastically.

"Well-" I tune out the rest of their argument as I try to figure how we can escape. Camille is bleeding heavily now, and we're trapped like mice in a corner.

I pick up one sentence from the male District 1 tribute; "Hey, do you hear that?" All I hear is...hissing. Suddenly, a huge wild cat, larger than I've ever seen, at home or in the Games, leaps out from it's camouflaged spot in the bushes onto the girl from 4. It's abnormally large claws rake down her body, and I realize what it is: a muttation. Genetically engineered and put into the arenas just to torture us, these animals have one goal: kill.

The Careers don't waste a second, running away, leaving her to fight helplessly against the beast. The cannon fires, but instead of the lion dragging her body away, it leaves without it. Intent to kill, nothing else.

We pause a minute before climbing down, me helping Camille down slowly. We don't want to stay here to treat it, looking at the mutilated body so we walk back to the stream, which takes about five minutes, and see a hovercraft appear out of thin air, reach a giant metal claw down, and lift back up with the beaten and scarred body of Jennifer.

I roll Camille's sleeve up carefully while Katie gets out the first-aid kit. She's bleeding heavily, and I'm not sure quite what to do, so I carefully clean the wound, hold it shut as I wrap it up in bandages, and roll Camille's sleeve back down.

"Anyone else hungry?" Katie asks once Camille is taken care of.

"Yeah, but we have such limited supplies." Kendall replies, looking towards the sun rising over the horizon. "I'll go hunt." He takes a small sip of water, and hands the pack to Camille.

"Take care of her." Kendall murmurs to us, not letting his sister hear. Then he stands up, pats his sitting sister's head, and walks off.

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**A/N: So...Carlos' tribute partner is dead...(*cries at own fic*) HE'S ALL ALONE! No, ok, I'm good now. I'd be even better if you'd be review, please! I just love the reviews so much! Thanks! **


	7. Chapter 7

******Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I had some serious writer's block on this story. But here you go: Chapter 7!**

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**James, District 2:**

* * *

As we walk back to the Cornucopia, Beau seems really distracted. He's breathing heavily, and his eyes are darting around. I guess it's because he just lost his district partner to a mutt. No one wants to go that way. I feel sorry for her.

We've been walking for awhile now, when suddenly an arrow flies out of a tree and hits Winnie square in the temple, and she dies almost instantly, signaled by the cannon fire.

"What the f*ck?" Beau yells. When we look up, we only see a flash of blonde hair in a ponytail before she jumps from that tree to the next, and the next, until she's a ways away. Beau is about to chase after her when Kyle stops him.

"We can hunt her down later." Kyle remarks. "But I still don't have a weapon." Beau nods and everyone moves on, laughing about something Jett said but I ignored. I look at where the arrow hit Winnie's temple. She looks helpless, but I resist closing her eyes. Ferocity gets you sponsors, not...compassion. I sigh, and hurry to catch up with them. Maybe this display of emotion can be played off as the loss of a skilled asset.

[-]

Back at the Cornucopia, we collect all the supplies, which is less than last year's but a h*ll of a lot more than the year before, when there were only daggers and matches.

"What the h*ll!" I turn to see Beau looking into a backpack. He turns it over, and I realize it's empty. We go through the rest of the fourteen backpacks, which seem to each contain different supplies, and find one other empty one.

_Nice, Gamemakers._ I think as I help arrange the supplies. There are 7 total spears, and Beau and Jennifer from 1 both take one, so I take a bow and a sheath of 15 arrows. We arrange the remaining supplies in a pyramid about three yards from the river and put the remaining 5 spears in a circle pointing outward around it. We lace some rope from several of the backpacks around it, and it creates an alright fence that you couldn't get over unless you pulled it all down, so that's good.

There are five tents and six of us, so it works because we'll have a guard, not that anyone would have the balls to attack the people who trained all their lives for this. We set up the tents for when we get back, and Jett says Kyle will guard.

"Hey, you can't demote me to guard!" The dark-haired thirteen-year-old fights.

"He could be useful." I comment. "You've seen him with a spear."

"Fine, you want to guard?" Jett gets in my face. I step away from him.

"Kyle, just stay behind." I order, thinking of my mom, who never would have stayed behind to guard. Jett smiles in a threatening way as Kyle lets his hands drop to his sides. I pack a formerly empty pack with matches, a first-aid kit, sunglasses, and a pack of dried beef strips, toss it to Jennifer from 2, and pull a sheath of arrows out of the pyramid, so that I have my bow and arrows and two knives on my belt.

Before we even head out, we see an almost invisible stream of smoke coming from the other side of the river. We cross towards it, leaving Kyle behind.

When we reach the site of the fire, I see Carlos Garcia looking terrified, a squirrel on the fire, and a spear he obviously made himself. Everyone starts laughing intimidatingly, and a slight smile crosses my lips, remembering the only times I spent with my mom: training, because that's when they would send the poor kids of the workers in the mountain that were bought to be killed for training. Then a knot tightens in my stomach when I think of killing _him_.

But instead of begging for mercy, as most victims do when people of our district get ready to finish them, he ups and sprints away. We follow, of course, but he's fast. When we finally catch up, tripping over rocks and logs, it's because we've been running so long that he collapses onto the ground.

"Shoot him." Jett nudges me, and I place my arrow. But as I aim for his neck, I can't bring myself to do it, but I never relax my string. I just stand there, as my colleagues urge me on, but I'm staring straight at him.

"Why don't you shoot me?" Carlos nearly smiles with his, for lack of a better word, taunting, as he tries to slow his heavy breathing. "Looks like someone's not as tough as they seem."

The first time those words came out of his mouth comes back to me.

_"Looks like someone's not as tough as they seem." _

_"Just don't tell anyone I came up here." I walked back to the edge of the roof. _

_"A-are you worried you'll let your mom down?" He had asked bravely. "I mean, I know she's your tribute partner's mentor."_

_"What's it to you, 9?" _

_"I hate seeing anyone so down."_

He was telling the truth, and only now I know that because I could sense the truth in his voice as he asked; "Why don't you shoot me?"

I hear Jett curse me out when I relax my bowstring.

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**A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger! Please review and follow, and you can find out what happens next!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Carlos, District 9:**

"What the h*ll, James?" The male from district 4 yells. My heart is still going way too fast, but at least the immediate threat of death isn't so potent.

"You've seen him with a knife; he could be useful." James argues. I lie on the ground, exhausted and trapped.

"No, you're weak." The male from 1 yells. "But you killed the girl from 9, didn't you?" He continues with a quick glance at me, and smiles because he must see the look of betrayal on my face. "And the girl from 6?"

"Kill him." The male from 4 says quickly. 1's sword is about to enter James' stomach when the girl from James' district tells him to stop.

"Don't kill him now." She says.

"Looks like both tributes from 2 are weak this year." The girl from 4 smirks. "And remember, James, if you come near our camp, we'll kill you too." The girl from 2 gives a look of distress at James before the remaining 5 leave.

James grabs me by the collar of my shirt and slams me against a tree.

"Gonna kill me now that they've kicked you out of the group?" I shift nervously and force a laugh out. I know the cameras are on us, and I can only imagine the fury brewing in the victor Brooke Diamond, watching her son. James lets go of me.

"I should have killed you before." James growls.

"But you didn't." I ponder. A minute passes before I ask the still steaming Career; "Did you really kill the girl from my district?"

"Yeah, and I have no regrets." James huffs. I can't help it; the image of Heather's weeping parents floods my mind, and I feel I'm going to lose it like so many tributes have.

"We should find food." And just as I say that, the girl from 2 comes rushing back. James readies his spear.

"I'm not going to kill you." The girl huffs. She kneels down, pulls a pack of dried beef and some first-aid supplies out of the bag and puts them in another drawstring bag, but, before standing back up, she takes a knife and cuts James' leg. His face shows he wants to scream, but he resists, and she stands back up. "But that's a reminder that I have some dignity."

"Give me a knife." The girl orders after a second, throwing the pack on.

"What?" I ask.

"I know James brought two knives, and if you want that pack of food and supplies for his leg, give me a knife." She stares at James.

"Fine." James spits, and my jaw nearly drops when he actually trades a _knife_ for _food!_ When I can clearly hunt. The girl nods and runs off.

James starts wrapping up his heavily bleeding leg and I turn to the food. The squirrel is overcooked on the outside, and burnt in some spots, but still, it's food. I take it off the spit, and hand James, who finished, a leg.

"How the h*ll did _I_ end up with _you_?" James ponders out loud. I stay silent. When we finish eating, he hands me the knife.

"Thanks, James." I smile at him, but he just stands up.

"Let's go." He grunts. I put the dried beef in my pocket and James slings the drawstring bag of first-aid supplies over his shoulder before walking away. I follow.

"Why are you following me?" James sighs.

"What, you think I'm going to let you go off and get killed?" I say with a laugh, but he looks at me like he wishes he killed me, which he probably does. "Only kidding..." I look at the ground until we stop at sunset.

The first-aid kit has a small blanket inside, so James tosses that to me and sits on a log. I'm about to offer the first watch when the anthem starts playing. The faces in the sky are the girl from 4, and the girl from 8. Eleven gone by the end of the second day, and both today were part of the Career pack. And I would have been dead if it weren't for James. I wonder if his mother is spitting on him as she watches.

Forget his mother, the whole of District 2 probably hates this years pair of tributes, both of them. And I can't help thinking that I would look at someone from my district who _joined_ the Careers with scorn, and they would do the same to their tributes who left. All twelve districts spit on their friends and family for making choices to survive through something they never went through. We're all sick creatures.

"Lie down, because you're taking watch at midnight." James orders, and I do. Despite the thoughts running through my head, eventually I fall asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if Carlos or James was a bit OOC; I just thought that maybe living in this society would change them, at least a bit. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had a bad case of writer's block, and I was really stuck. But, finally, chapter 9. **

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**Kendall, District 12:**

I spot Logan walking back, the rising sun behind him, and he holds a squirrel in his hand. I guess hunting went well. We have some wood that shouldn't create too much smoke, so we start a small fire and cook it.

As Katie eats, I keep glancing over. Not like she could get hurt without me seeing, but I'm just so worried. How could this happen to us? Never did I expect to die in The Hunger Games. And I am going to. Katie is going to win. The thought of facing my death shakes me.

I look around. The stream to my right, three people nearby, forest trees surrounding. I can barely see the sky. Logan has finished eating and is washing his hands in the stream, and Camille is nibbling the last bit of meat off her share. I wonder what life is like in District 3. It's not a Career district, but how awful could it really be? I've always imagined 10, 11, and 12, my own District, really have it worst, although every district is just a toy of the Capitol.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I hear a howl, like the dog packs I hear in the woods. Some people have ventured out there to hunt, but my mother always said it was too risky. The howl came from a short walk away, maybe a mile. My grip on my knife tightens, but nothing happens.

"Looks like we might have more predators to deal with." Logan grunts. Just as he finishes his grave sentence, we hear the furious _mrroow_ and look up to see the lion mutt nearing us, his yellow eyes penetrating our minds. It begins circling us, so we stand back to back, and I put Katie behind me, so she's covered by Logan, me, and Camille.

With a furious snarl, it leaps at Logan. "Logan!" Camille shrieks as she pushes Logan out of the way. My heart stops as the claws sink into Camille, opening wounds on her arms. Grabbing her by the arm, I pull Katie away, and move in.

I rake my knife down the gigantic beast's side, but its massive paw hits my face, claws unsheathed. I'm knocked at least three feet back, and lose hold of my weapon. The pain is blinding, and I can't stand without falling again, but when I finally wipe enough blood away, I see Camille has gotten hold of her knife, and stabs the beast in the chest several times. He gets off her, and limps away, leaving a thick blood trail. Logan rushes to Camille's side, scratches on his face and arms.

"Shh." Logan says as he begins wrapping up her more prominent wounds, mostly on her limbs, face, and neck. She doesn't speak throughout, just moans and lifts her hand to Logan's shoulder. "I think you might make it." Logan comments as he starts her last wound. I wrap up the wound on my face with the small amount of first-aid supplies leftover.

"Do you think she's gonna make it, big brother?" Katie asks me as Logan finishes up. I look at the now mauled body of the girl from District 3. I sigh in response to Katie.

"Here we go." Logan tries to pick up Camille, but can't.

"Logan, don't." Camille groans. I sigh, and walk over. Logan helps me lift her initially, and then I support her.

"Katie, walk in front so I can see you." I order, and she nods. We start our search of somewhere safe to sleep, and maybe peaceful because, as much as it will hurt Logan, Camille is going to die. I look at her in my arms. I can barely see any of her face, she's so covered in bloody bandages.

We find a cave at around noon, and I lay Camille, who is sleeping, inside. I turn to Logan.

"Go get some bushes to camouflage the cave entrance." I instruct, and he complies, after kissing Camille's forehead. Katie steps in front of me, arms crossed.

"I can help, you know." She says. I'm hesitant, especially after what just happened with Camille. I shake my head.

"Stay here with Camille." I say. "I'm gonna go help Logan." I leave before she can say anything, over to a tangle of moss and vines I can use to camouflage the cave entrance.

As I cut the vines, my heart feels like it's going to tear through my chest. I don't want to die, but I can't let Katie. I want us to go home without killing anyone, without ever being here. I want to wake up, to walk over to Katie and my mom's bed, and see her lying there, safe from harm.

"Hey, Kendall." Logan's voice snaps me out of my daze, my brain-dead cutting of the vines. "I thought you were back at the cave." He holds an armful of moss, vines, and scraggly brown bushes. I shrug in response, and he says we should get back, an obvious look of worry on his face.

It takes a while for us to get the cave looking abandoned, plus a few surrounding caves, though not as well, so it doesn't look suspicious. It's sunset when we're done, and we make sure Camille is comfortable, although she's pretty out of it. The cave is too small though, for all four of us to fit.

"Well, the guard could just sit outside." I suggest. "Get a better view." We agree on that, and I take first shift.

Katie pokes her head out when the anthem starts, and I assume that Logan doesn't want to leave Camille anymore. Maybe he's accepted it; she's gone. There are no faces in the sky tonight, none dead. I have to hope that the audience is contained with the lion fight, and Camille's life on the edge. When the anthem ends, Katie returns to the cave, and I sigh. Can we make it? I'm not entirely sure, but I know I have to try to help Katie win in the end. I look up at the few stars I can see through the branches.

_Are you even real?_ I ask silently. I never thought I would miss the natural sky of District 12 so much. I guess when it's the last stars you'll ever see, you want them to be real.


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy 10th chapter! *pulls popper* Enjoy this short chapter!**

* * *

**James, District 2:**

We start our trek again early in the morning, after being woken up by a cannon. Carlos insists on going until the edge of the arena, but I don't see the point. Why not just camp and hunt for other tributes?

"I want to get as far away as possible from the other tributes." That's the response I get when I ask him around noon.

"Why?" I ask. "You're good with a knife. You could kill someone easily."

"I'll talk about it later." Carlos replies. I huff. We keep walking for several hours, stopping only once to take a break. Night is coming, my entire body is exhausted, and I'm about to suggest we stop, when Carlos breaks a branch to reveal a clearing with a huge lake next to it.

"I bet the Careers don't have _this,_ huh?" Carlos says, turning around and walking backwards towards the water as he talks to me.

"Let's camp here." I call to him, since he's already at the lake. He agrees, and we set up a meager camp, him taking guard first.

I stare at the stars for a few minutes after lying down. Just thinking: has my mom completely given up hope with me? There have to be _some_ sponsors. Is she sending all the gifts to Jennifer? Does she hate me now? All my life I was told that I had to get in here and bring honor to my district. But the way Carlos looks at me, the way everyone in our group treats the other tributes every year, I wonder who respects us. The people in the Capitol couldn't respect District 12, or any of those other lousy districts. They seemed to _love_ them this year. I train all my life just to end up being a coward and acting like I'm from District 10. I should have killed him.

I glance over at where Carlos sits, unaware of the thoughts running through my head. It would be so easy. Tell him to give me the knife, slice his throat.

Then I realize. Tell him to give me the knife. That would be directly playing on his trust in me. I can't do that. _Guess someone's not as tough as they seem._ Those eight haunting words bounce around in my mind, probably because he's right. I'm not as strong as I played myself. And I let that horrid thought be the last one of my waking hours.

"James!" An angry, distressed voice calls my name, and I open my eyes to see a panicked Carlos standing over me. I stand up.

"What?" It's not even dawn yet. "Is it my watch?"

"We...we have a problem." He says.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"I went hunting, because your stomach was growling in your sleep." Carlos replies as he starts walking in the direction we were headed. I grab the bag and follow. We walk for a few minutes before I hear it. Crackling. Like a fire. The thought of a trap runs through my head, but he's not that smart.

The minute I see it, I start running away, but he grabs the shoulder of my vest, and forces me to take a harder look at the fire. It's huge, going as far as we can see from left to right, and it's at least thirty feet high. One thing makes it safe: it's not moving. It isn't spreading, and Carlos is just staring at it. I look at the top, to see no smoke rising from it, which explains why we didn't know of it before.

"You think this is the edge of the arena?" Carlos comments.

"I guess." I say, taking a step away from the heat. We start walking back to the lake, and try to determine our next move.


End file.
